On 28 October, the Knesset passed two bills to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Israel. The first bill prohibits UNRWA from providing services or conducting activities in Israel, directly or indirectly. The second bill terminates the 1967 treaty between Israel and UNRWA, ending recognition of the agency and removing legal immunity for its staff. The legislation, passed by a significant majority (92–10), is set to take effect 90 days after its passing. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the legislation, stating it violates the UN Charter and international law and further warned that, under Israel’s occupation, the ban puts UNRWA's operations in Palestine at risk, as coordination with Israeli authorities is essential for accessing Gaza and the West Bank. Amnesty International also voiced concern, stating that the decision contradicts an order by the International Court of Justice, which mandates Israel to ensure sufficient humanitarian aid and facilitate the provision of basic services in Gaza.

Sources: The Jerusalem Post, United Nations (1), United Nations (2), Reuters, Amnesty International, UN Secretary General

On 23 June, the Supreme Court of Israel ordered the government to disclose to the Court the conditions under which Palestinian detainees are held at the Sde Teiman detention camp in the Negev desert. This order comes after international media investigations reported allegations of torture and sexual violence against Palestinian detainees from Gaza. Several Israeli human rights organizations petitioned the Court to close the detention center, citing severe abuse, including beatings, medical neglect, and arbitrary punishments. Prisoners were reportedly blindfolded and handcuffed within fenced compounds. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture urged Israel to thoroughly investigate these allegations. Despite the Israel Defense Forces previously informing the Court on 5 June of plans to gradually transfer detainees out of Sde Teiman and phase out its use, the facility remained partially occupied, prompting the Supreme Court to order updated information. Out of the approximately 4,000 Palestinian detainees held at Sde Teiman since October 2023, 36 had reportedly died by late May.  

Update: On 18 September, the Court rejected the request to order the closure of Sde Teiman, citing a reduction in the number of detainees (from 700 in June to 24 as of 1 September) and improvements in facility management, as claimed by the State during the hearings. However, the Court mandated the State to comply with Israeli law on detainee treatment. The Court did not deal with other related issues, such as the denial of Red Cross visits, under separate judicial review, and the ongoing military investigations into torture allegations. 

Sources: Supreme Court of Israel (1), Haaretz (1), The Times of Israel (1), The Times of Israel (2), CNN, United Nations, Supreme Court of Israel (2), Haaretz (2), The Times of Israel (3), Lawfare

On 25 June, Israel’s Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision to revoke the longstanding exemption from military conscription previously granted to Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men. The ruling mandates that the state must now start to draft students from Haredi yeshivas –schools dedicated to the intensive study of Rabbinic literature– into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In its decision, the Court emphasized the “principle of equality” in military service, stressing that it must apply equally to yeshiva students and other Jewish citizens to avoid “selective enforcement”. The decision sparked widespread protests and resulted in four arrests. The debate over compulsory military service in Israel has intensified amid the ongoing war in Gaza, with the IDF arguing for more personnel and the Haredim arguing that military service conflicts with their religious lifestyle.  

Sources: Supreme Court of Israel, Haaretz, Associated Press, The Times of Israel (1), The Times of Israel (2) 

On 25 May, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan filed requests for arrest warrants against Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The next step is for the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I to review the applications and determine if there are ‘reasonable grounds to believe’ that these individuals have committed a crime under the Court's jurisdiction, and whether to issue the arrest warrants. A report by international law experts, convened by the ICC Prosecutor in January 2024, confirmed on 20 May that the gathered evidence was sufficient to meet the criteria for applying for the arrest warrants. PM Netanyahu called the ICC Prosecutor’s announcement ‘absurd’. Israel previously stated that it does not recognize the Court's authority and will not cooperate with the inquiry. Meanwhile, Hamas has called on the ICC to withdraw the arrest warrant requests for its leaders.

Sources: International Criminal Court, ICC Panel of Experts in International Law (1), ICC Panel of Experts in International Law (2), Diakonia, Middle East Eye, ABC, Associated Press

On 5 May, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi ordered the closure of Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel for a renewable, 45-day period. On the same day, Israeli authorities shut down Al Jazeera’s local offices, confiscated broadcast equipment, blocked its websites and cut its channel from cable and satellite companies. The order was made using a new law passed in April 2024, which empowers the Communications Minister to close foreign media outlets, where – as is alleged with regards to Al Jazeera – they are deemed a threat to international security. The law was also used against another international outlet, the Associated Press, which reported having its broadcasting equipment confiscated and its live video of Gaza blocked after the Israeli government accused it of providing images to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera remains one of the few international media outlets reporting from Gaza during the war.

Sources: Article 19, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Times of Israel, Euro-Med Rights, International IDEA, Associated Press (1), Associated Press (2)

In May, civil society organizations (CSOs) raised alarms about the conditions faced by incoming workers from Malawi, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and India in Israel's agriculture and construction sectors. Concerns include inadequate compensation, contract violations, and mistreatment. Media reports highlight Indian migrants on Israeli farms being paid below minimum wage, enduring long hours without overtime pay, wage theft with their salaries diverted to recruitment agencies, and inadequate housing with outdoor toilets and no hot water. Fear of retaliation or deportation is said to prevent many from reporting abuses. On 8 May, 12 Malawians were deported after leaving farm jobs due to poor conditions and starting to work in a bakery instead, violating their visa terms. This issue comes amid Israel’s announcement on 15 May of further plans to ‘significantly increase’ its quota of foreign workers, aiming to alleviate labor shortages caused by the suspension of nearly 400,000 Palestinian work permits only in October 2023. CSOs argue that the rapid pace of replacement is causing the deteriorating conditions for incoming migrant workers.

Sources: Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (1), Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (2), International Labour Organization, Labor Ministry of Israel, Al-Jazeera, Foreign Policy, BBC

On 1 April, the Israeli parliament passed a law granting senior ministers the authority to shut down foreign news networks deemed to pose a 'threat to national security'. The law, which was passed by a vote of 71-10 in the Knesset, authorizes the communications minister to suspend broadcasting, close offices, seize equipment, and take down websites of offending foreign news channels. Shutdown orders can be issued initially for a period of up to 45 days, with provisions for renewals of up to an additional 45 days each time. There is no specified limit on the number of renewals. The law will remain effective until July 31, 2024, or until the state of emergency is lifted, whichever comes first. Media freedom organizations, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, have criticized the law, arguing that it poses a significant threat to media and press freedom and called on the Israeli government to reverse this decision. 

Sources: Knesset, Al-Jazeera, Times of Israel, Euro-Med Rights, Committee to Protect Journalists